Updated 12 August 2026

Panda Express Hot Mustard

Name: Copycat Panda Express Hot Mustard
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American Chinese
Ingredients: 4 tbsp dry mustard powder; 4 tbsp cold water; 0.5 tsp rice vinegar; 0.25 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp neutral oil, optional

10 calSauces & Extras

Hot Mustard is a sauces and extras item with 10 calories per serving, 0 g protein, 115 mg sodium. Panda Express does not publish a standalone price for it; it is ordered inside a Bowl, Plate or Bigger Plate.

Contains: Sesame

Panda Express calories and nutrition More Sauces & Extras

About This Dish

Hot Mustard is the sharpest condiment at Panda Express and one of the lightest: 10 calories per packet. It is the traditional dip for egg rolls, and the one sauce at the station that clears your sinuses rather than sweetening your food.

The heat is mustard heat, which behaves differently from chili: it hits the nose rather than the tongue, arrives instantly and fades within seconds. That makes it forgiving even for people who avoid spicy food, since nothing lingers. The texture is thin and pale yellow, and a little goes further than people expect on the first try.

At 10 calories per packet it is functionally free in calorie terms, alongside Chili Sauce at 10 calories and Potsticker Sauce at 10 calories. Against Sweet and Sour Sauce at 70 calories, choosing mustard saves the equivalent of a small side over the course of a few meals. The published flags show no wheat, which is unusual on this menu.

How much is Hot Mustard? Packets are free with appropriate orders, with extras on request.

It suits Chicken Egg Rolls at 200 calories above all, where the sharpness cuts the fried wrapper better than any sweet dip manages, and it works on Veggie Spring Rolls at 240 calories for the same reason. It is also the smart pick for anyone tracking calories who still wants their fried appetizer to taste like something.

Hot Mustard Nutrition Facts

10Calories

0gProtein

0gCarbohydrates

1gTotal Fat

0gSaturated Fat

0gTrans Fat

0mgCholesterol

115mgSodium

0gDietary Fiber

0gSugars

0.25 ozPortion

* Values approximate. Updated 12 August 2026.

How to Make Hot Mustard at Home

Chinese hot mustard is mustard powder and water. That is genuinely the whole recipe, and the ten minute rest is where the heat develops.

Prep 10 minCook 0 minDifficulty Easy8 servings

Ingredients

Steps

0 of 4 steps

Mix. Whisk the mustard powder with cold water until completely smooth with no dry pockets.
Rest. Leave it 10 to 15 minutes. The heat develops during this rest and not before, so do not skip it.
Season. Stir in the vinegar and salt, which stops the heat developing further and locks in the level you have.
Finish. Add the oil if you want a smoother texture, then refrigerate in a sealed jar.

Tips

Cold water only. Hot water kills the enzyme reaction that creates the heat.
The vinegar sets the heat level, so add it when the sharpness is where you want it.
Heat fades over about a week, so make small batches.